Engaged? Here is What You Need to Do Next

Just Got Engaged?

Congratulations! Getting engaged is probably one of the best and happiest moments of your life. It is true someone loves you so much they want to spend the rest of their life with you. What a moment! Well, this calls for a celebration. It is certainly the moment that you have been waiting for, it is surreal and it is definitely happening, like it or not, the days, weeks and hours following the proposal are guaranteed to be a whirlwind.

There is so much to think about, so many people to contact and much to do all at once. Do not be overwhelmed. There is plenty of time for you to plan the rest of your life. However, if you are newly engaged, as it may be the case, you will be itching to share the information with all your relatives and friends and before you realize it, you are into the actual wedding planning part.

Bridal Magazine, dress shopping, Pinterest boards, and venue hunting… the list is endless. Watching some wedding movies could have probably prepared you for what is ahead of you. While the average engagement duration lasts between one year to a year and a half, there are certain activities you will want to get done during your engagement period before you decide on how long the wedding will take.

So, where do you get started? There is no particular order to track after your engagement as long as you tackle all the necessary to-dos. Committing yourself to the love of your life is amazing and scary at the same time. Although it comes with its stresses, it is the major milestone one can achieve. And planning for a stunning wedding is just but the icing on the cake-we can bet on that.

Highlighted below are some of the must do’s immediately after your engagement.

1. Celebrate

Before you tell your friends and family, just take a moment with your newly fiancé. Just head to your favorite bar and order for a glass of champagne, or it might be your partner thought ahead, just try and pop that bubble bottle he brought along in anticipation of a yes. Soon, you will get caught within the wedding planning realm, so savor the time before you let everyone else know about the good news. Additionally, you need to have a time together just ponder about how the journey has been and share the good moments first together as a newly happy and ready to get into life forever.

2. Now it’s time to share the Good News

You may now want to let people know of your engagement as soon as the ring is slipped on your fingers. Besides, you may decide to keep it private for a bit longer. No matter the decision, inform your parents first. Do not keep them in the dark for too long. Once your parents have heard the news about the proposal, you can proceed and let your friends and other family members know of it.

In addition, if you are overseas on vacation and wish to break the news before you get home, I would advise to try and find Wi-Fi, so you can face time to share the news. Additionally, you can opt to do a video call just to break the good news. As a caution, do not send a text message to your parents over the good news.

3. Throw a party

Before you jump into planning your wedding, throw a surprise engagement party if you prefer to announce your news to family and friends all at once. Most of the time, close friends and parents will host the event. If you throwing an engagement party is in disguise, just think of a convincing cover up such as Super Bowl or Christmas gathering or just a casual dinner party will do. It is imperative to note that, those who are invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding, so plan the first guest list wisely since you do not want them to miss out on the big occasion.

If you want your engagement party to stand out, getting a cocktail hosted by the bride’s parents at home will be a classic thing. However, it is by no means the only options to host a party. Part of the engagement delight is that it allows for improvisations and innovation. Moreover, some engagement parties are very formal, think of throwing a party in the country while others would prefer a casual backyard homemade fairy lights and food. For them, this will just make the party superb.

Should you be worried about the dress code during an engagement party? Well, when attending engagement parties, there is no rule for the type of dress one should wear, at least for the visitors. Nonetheless, you and your host can specify the dressing style. But on normal occasions, a casual outfit will work out perfectly well. Although this will entirely depend on the season and the time the party is held.

4. Insure Your Ring

Now that you have got the ring on your finger, it is a treasure that you should always keep and guard at all cost. You cannot rule out the chances of losing the priceless gift you have. Thus, make sure you talk to an insurance agent to help you cover your ring just in case the ring or its stones needs to be replaced or repaired. To do this, first, you will need to get an appraisal from a certified gemologist. Most of the jewelers always provide this service upon purchase. However, always ensure you understand all the terms of the policy. Try and find out if the ring is covered against ring loss, being stolen or damaged, and the stipulations and if any, and how long the claims process will take.

5. Set a budget

Before you make any wedding arrangement, you need to figure out how much you will have to spend and how much your family and friends can contribute towards your big day. As a rule of thumb, discuss the budget together with your fiancé and agree on the way forward. Needless to say, when budgeting, you will need to prioritize on the necessary activities first. Besides, you need to only involve your parents and other committees’ members once you have settled on a budget and other logistics.

Having a wedding is fun, however, having a budget within your reach is what can help get out of any situation. Never go into debts when planning for your wedding. Remember you will need to go for honeymoon and enjoy your days without getting disturbed on how you should raise fund and pay out the debts. In summary, have a feasible budget that will not render you into debts.

6. Have the Guest List Ready

Once the budget is set out, it will dictate the number of guests you wish to have at your wedding. Remember that those you attended your engagement part should be part of the final wedding day, thus, it is important for you to plan your engagement party with this in mind. At times, deciding on who to call or not to may be a daunting task, but, if you find that you are not agreeing with your family on the number to invite, then you probably need to scale down. The process is always stressful though it is not the best moment to quarrel. And if you are on a fence with someone, do not panic, consider calling them over for house dinner if do not manage to invite him or her over.

7. Create and Think about the Big Picture

Now that you have a budget and list of guest ready, try to think about the bigger picture. Envision the type of wedding both of you would want to have. It should be an event around a theme that reminds you of your childhood dream or just make it revolve around your current tastes. Even if you have already settled on a formal ballroom event, you can still think of other possibilities on how to make the event memorable and unique. Getting a Sunday Brunch or a seaside ceremony can change the whole game or reinforce your idea.

Additionally, the same applies to the mood and day of the wedding. If you are not sure where to start from, just sit down with your fiancé and brainstorm. You will certainly think of some inspirational moments together that might give you a hint on how to proceed.

8. Pick Your Venue

Now that everything is ready including your budget and guest list, it is now that time to pick the best wedding venue. Did you know that where you wed dictates a lot about the wedding? From the dress code to the date. Just take your time to select the best venue that is easy to access. The key here is to look far and wide. It offers you the opportunity to typically hunt for a matching dress. Try on different options not only the one you think you want. You never know what you will end up liking the most.

9. Discuss a Date

Once you get the word out there, lots of questions will come your way including when you are getting married. Just reveal the date is you already have one or let the curious friends know the plans that are underway. You should not keep them too much in the dark especially if you want to hold your wedding party at a popular time of the year, such as June or over the holiday. It is worthy to note that holding your wedding party during the business holidays will mean you have to book your photographers/videographers and other professionals in advance in order to avoid the last minute rush and being disappointed.

10. Register for Gifts

As soon as your friends and relatives find out about the big day, presents will likely to start flowing in. Thus, it is never early to register, not only to ensure you get something need and like, but also to make it easier on family and friends who are trying to figure out what to buy for you. Even if you do not register for everything out rightly, at least go to one store and decide on a few things for you to do have list. Additionally, you need to try to limit your registry to three places ideally two national stores and one local one. In this way, it is easier to manage and in case of any problem, most of the stores will keep your registry active as longs as you deem fit.

In conclusion, congratulations once more for finding the love of your life. There is much to do after your engagement. Thus, it is imperative to be ready for the upcoming tasks so that you are not caught unaware. In this list we have covered some of the most vital and crucial steps that you need to take immediately after your engagement. Plan you wedding in a more sober environment and have the big day count in your life. Cheers!